§ 5. Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money (a) in cash and (b) as a percentage of the Welsh total, will be spent on trunk roads in Dyfed in the financial years 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsCentral Government provision for roads and transport in Wales in 1992–93 is £197 million. An analysis by county is not available, as the programme is subject to changing engineering, statutory and financial considerations.
Provision for 1993–94 and 1994–95 will be announced in due course.
§ Mr. AingerIs the Minister aware that the analysis by Dyfed county council shows that less than 6 per cent. of the capital from the Welsh Office is spent on the 24 per cent. of the road network of Wales that lies within the county? Is he aware that all the local authorities and the members of the task force on whose strategy team the Secretary of State sits identify the fact that west Wales has serious problems with its road communications? Is he further aware that his answer is wholly inadequate, as are the sums allocated to road communications in west Wales?
§ Sir Wyn RobertsAlthough I do not deny the county council's figures, I should point out that they vary from year to year. In 1990–91, about £22.6 million was spent on motorways and trunk roads in Dyfed—12.6 per cent. of the total spent in Wales. I do not know why the county council should complain. There are nine trunk road schemes in the pipeline for Dyfed, costing about £81 million—five of them to be started before 1995 and four before 1998.
As for expenditure on roads, the hon. Gentleman will know that our expenditure on the M4, in particular on the Baglan-Lonlas section in west Wales, will greatly benefit life there.